Chemical, Microbial Quality, and Risk Assessment due to Toxic Metal Contamination of Egusi (Citrullus colocynthis L.) Powder Sold in Selected Ghanaian Markets

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of melon seed powder sold in some open Ghanaian markets. Twenty-five samples of powder were collected randomly from each of four major markets and analyzed for moisture, pH, total ash, acid insoluble ash, and free fatty acids (FFA) using standard methods. The microbial population was determined using the pour plate method. Melon seed powder samples had a neutral pH (6.9-7.3) and contained significant amounts of ash (0.1-0.6%). Acid insoluble ash of powder from one market was high (0.6%) and possibly indicate contamination with siliceous earth material. FFA ranged between 4.1 and 11.6% for powder from the four markets. Levels of lead were higher (0.4-0.8 ppm) than other metals such as cadmium (0.02 ppm) and copper (0.3-0.6 ppm). HQ values >1 were recorded for Pb, implying a greater risk of toxicity to consumers. Counts for aerobic bacteria, fecal coliforms, and yeast and molds were in the range of 3.2-4.4, 1.6-4.0, 1.4-2.8, and 1.1-3.2 log CFU/g correspondingly for these organisms. E. coli was not detected in any of the melon seed powder samples analyzed. This study highlights the need for proper handling of melon seed during processing, storage, and distribution, to safeguard its quality for consumers.

Flour nutritional profile, and soxhlet-extracted oil physicochemical breakdown-storage performance of white melon (Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin) seed varieties from Southeast Nigeria

“…Soxhlet-extracted C . mannii oil samples were analyzed for acid value (AV) as described by Arthur et al [ 18 ] with slight modifications. About 1 mL of phenolphthalein solution (1%) was combined with 25 mL of ethanol before being properly neutralized with 0.1 M NaOH.…”

Phytochemical Analysis of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson and Its Standardisation by HPLC and HPTLC

“…insoluble value like this are likely contaminated with siliceous materials like dirt or sand, giving the sample an incorrect overall pH value of 34 . Ash with a low acid insoluble content (2.28±0.20) contains less siliceous materials than the average, such as earth or sand.…”